Starcrash [1979]

Country of Origin: Italy
Year of Production: 1979
Running Times: 92 mins
Format: Technicolor
Ratio:
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures Corporation / AIP / Film Enterprise
Producers: Nat Wachsberger, Patrick Wachsberger
Production Supervisor: Luigi Nannerini

SCRIPT
Script: Lewis Coates (real name: Luigi Cozzi), Nat Wachsberger
Additional Dialogue: R.A. Dillon

DIRECTION
Director: Lewis Coates (real name: Luigi Cozzi)
Assistant Director: Freddy Unger

PHOTOGRAPHY
Directors of Photography: Paul Beeson, Roberto D'Ettorre Piazzoli
Additional Photography: Roberto Girometti, Giuseppe Lanci
Lab: Technicolor

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Sergio Montanari
US Version Trailer Editor: Joe Dante [uncredited]

MUSIC
Music / Conductor: John Barry

SOUND
Sound Re-Recording: Tex Rudloff, Howard Wollman, Don Mitchell
Sound Editor: Steve Bushelman
Sound Effects: Massimo Anzellotti
Dolby Consultant: Don DiGirolamo

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Directors: Armando Valcauda, Germano Natali
Electronic Visual Effects Supervisor: Ron Hays

VISUAL EFFECTS
Special Photographic Effects: Studio 4, Armando Valcauda, Matteo Verzini

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Aurelio Crugnola

CAST
Caroline Munro [Stella Star]
Marjoe Gortner [Akton]
Christopher Plummer [Emperor]
David Hasselhoff [Simon]
Joe Spinell [Count Zarth Arn]
Robert Tessier [Thor]
Nadia Cassini [Corellia, Queen of the Amazons]
Judd Hamilton [L / Jiakta]
Daniela Giordano
Hamilton Camp [voice of L]
Salvatore Baccaro [neanderthal man]

Space smugglers Stella Star and Akton are offered a chance of freedom if they accept a mission from the Emperor of the First Circle of the Universe - they must track down the devestating new superweapon being developed by the evil Count Zarth Arn. They must also rescue the Emperor's son who has been captured by Arn and are accompanied by the police officers who originally captured them, Thor and his robot sidekick L.

An unbelievably camp Star Wars knock-off, full of mind-bending plot developments, rubbish special effects, effeminate robots and Caroline Munro in a space bikini – so not all bad news then. Taken on its own terms – as a trashy space opera spoof – it's actually very effective; it's funny, mildly sexy and clearly knows just how bad it is. And that makes it an awful lot more watchable than the execrable Star Wars prequels.

UK
Video Distributors: Vipco; Video Gems; Video Unlimited

USA
Theatrical Distributor: New World Pictures
Video Distributors: Charter Video; Embassy Home Entertainment

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Finland
Rating: K-12

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: PG

1979
January
Day Unknown: Italy – theatrical release

March
9: USA – theatrical release
30: Finland – theatrical release

1985
January
3: UK - TV broadcast [Thames]

1988
February
15: UK - video release

From a vast and distant galaxy... A Space Adventure for all Time!

The Adventures of Stella Star – US title
Avaruussota - Finnish title
Avaruussota: Attack i rymden - Finnish title
Le choc des étoiles - French title
Choque de galaxias
Female Space Invaders
Ginga sensou - Japanese title
Rymddeullen
Scontri stellari oltre la terza dimensione - Italian title
Star Crash - Sterne im Duell - West German title
Star Crash
Star Crash, choque de galaxias - Spanish title
Starcrash: Ataque interstelar - Mexican title
Starcrash uchyu dai sensou - Japanese title
Stella Star
Sterne im Duell - West German title
Uchyu icyodai senkan starship SOS - Japanese title

SEE ALSO
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope [1977]

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Il mondo di Dario Argento 3: Il museo degli orrori di Dario Argento [1997]

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique vol.7 no.3 [Autumn 1978] p.73
review

Cinefantastique vol.8 no.4 [Summer 1979] pp.18-19, 27 [USA]
illustrated article

L'Ecran Fantastique no.8 [1979] pp.5-33
illustrated interview

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.46 no.546 [July 1979] p.155 [UK]
credits, synopsis, review

Screen International no.113 [12 November 1977] p.11 [UK]
review

Starburst no.37 [1981] p.6 [UK]
note

Variety 28 March 1979 p.36 [USA]
credits, review

Video the Magazine March 1988 p.44 [UK]
illustrated review

BOOKS

Elliot's Guide to Films on Video p.751
credits, video data

Spaghetti Nightmares p.36
credits

aliens, lightsabers, other planets, robots, space travel, space wars, spaceships